


McCaroll Ranch

by TheBrothersRowe



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 03:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16318379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrothersRowe/pseuds/TheBrothersRowe
Summary: Clementine is forever haunted by the memory of McCaroll Ranch. And after the horrors of the raider attack, Clem finally tells someone about her nightmare...and about an amazing man named Javier Garcia.





	McCaroll Ranch

Clem sat silently on her bed, rubbing her tired eyes. Glancing at the empty bed in front of her, she released a sigh, shaking her head gently. Fuck.... fuck it went worse than any of them had hoped. Mitch was dead... The raiders took three of their own, Omar, Aasim...and Louis.

God, Louis. She panicked watching them take Violet. The girl had just saved her, she was being dragged away, Clem had to help her! But then they took Louis. The girl had thought of so many ways that she could've helped him...but that didn't matter now...just like it didn't matter with him...

The girl was brought back to a knock on the door, and turned towards it. "Come in." She spoke, half expecting it to be AJ. To her surprise though, it was Violet standing at the door. The blonde girl appeared just as tired as Clementine did. Concerned gray-green eyes looked over to her, a frown tugging on her lips. "Hey...are...are you okay?" Violet asked, folding her arms. Clem rose a brow seeing the blood staining Violet's pale hands, and tilted her head slightly. "How was interrogating Abel?" She asked. A scowl crossed Violet's face, "You didn't answer my question.". "Violet, they have three of our friends. We can't waste time worrying about me, we need to get them back!" Clem snapped.

Violet was caught off guard momentarily, before glaring at Clem, putting her hands on her hips. "You think your the only one worried Clem? They were our friends too, okay?! I'm sorry to say it like that, but we've been friends with everyone for eight years or longer!" Violet exclaimed. "I liked Louis!" Clem blurted out.

The two of them stood in a stunned silence, looking at each other. Fuck. Violet slowly spoke, "Was...did you, when you went with him to piano duty?" She asked. Clem gave a heavy sigh, sitting back on the bed. She lowered her head, sticking her fingers through her hair. "I... we kissed." Clem confessed with a deep inhale. "Holy shit." Violet gaped, looking at Clem, "But...you saved me.". Shit, why'd she have to ask that? Clem wanted to save Louis, but she hated the thought of giving anyone up. She didn't want to lose Louis, but she wouldn't give up Violet to take his place.

Noticing her silence, Violet gave a sigh, pushing her bangs out of her face. "You should get some rest." Violet spoke. "No... I... I can't." Clem uttered out, knowing she'd have that nightmare again. If it wasn't that one, it'd definitely be one about the raider attack. Violet noticed this, walking over to her friend, sitting by her on the bed. "You get nightmares, don't you?" Violet questioned. Clem looked at the girl besides her, and gave a sigh, maybe it was time to tell someone. AJ knew she had the nightmares, but he was too young when it happened. He only remembered the horrors. Closing her eyes, Clem began to reminisce, retelling the story.

"It was three years ago. I just turned 14, and AJ was only 2. We had been separated for a while now, and I was finally going to find him." There was no need to tell her all the old details about the New Frontier, "A friend I had made around that time promised to help me find AJ... his name was Javier Garcia...and I'm the reason he died.".

"Come on Clem, you walk any slower and we'll never get there." The girl scowled at the bearded man before her. "Fuck off Javi." The girl spoke, making the man chuckle. "Come on Clementine, I know you can do so much better than that." Javier smirked as he looked back at her, before continuing to walk. "Your the worst." Clem scowled. "If I was, would I be helping you find your kid?" He asked. The girl rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. God, he was annoying.

The two of them continued walking down the road, searching for the ranch. "If Linguard's right, it should be just down this conjoined road." Javier stated, pointing at the dirt road leading off to an over grown forest area. Clem rose a brow to the area, folding her arms. "I don't trust it." She stated. "It's best we got." Javier retorted, walking with her down the dirt path.

Trailing down the path, the duo, mostly Clem, was shocked to find a ranch, looking rather intact, there. "It's really here." Clem uttered out. "Told you." Javier smiled, walking forward. The girl glanced around the ranch, getting an...off feeling, but for once she ignored it, just wanting to reunite with AJ already. Javier lead the way, approaching the main house of the settlement. Looking around, seeing no one, the man knocked on the wooden door. There wasn't a reply, and he turned to the red leather wearing girl shrugging. "Knock again?" Clem asked. Javier turned, hitting his fist on the door again, surprised as it swung open. "I swear I did not break it.".

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Clem pushed past Javier, looking into the dark house. Linguard spoke of this place like it was a paradise, but it just looked abandoned. Glancing around, Clem pulled out her knife, walking into the dark home. "Keep your focus up." Clem stated, moving forward, traveling up the stairs first. Javier guarded her from behind, wielding his iconic metal bat.

The two made their way up the stairs, searching for any sign of life. Or even any sign of AJ. Looking around, Clem froze hearing a faint crying. "AJ?" She gasped out, looking around. The girl walked forward, following the noise to the very end of the hallway. Her boots creaked against the wood with ever step she took, before finally stopping at the room. Keeping a firm grip on her knife, the girl twisted the nob, opening it to a nursery. Amber eyes frantically glanced around, until she heard the crying again, and saw the child in the crib.

"AJ!" Clem rushed forward, picking the child up, "It's okay, it's okay i'm here.". Tears ran down her eyes, as she gently bounced the child up and down in her arms, cradling him close to her body.

"You found him, how is that a nightmare? Your luckier than most of us here." Violet interrupted, making Clem frown. "Just wait.." Clem continued.

The girl was so focused on the reunion, she didn't even hear the walker growling as it came out of the closet. AJ let out a frantic whine, pointing, making the girl turn around wide eyed. The walker reached for her, but was knocked back by a metal bat. "Fucking muertos!" Javier growled, fighting off the walker as it latched onto him. Clem went wide eyed, turning to put AJ down so she can fight, when a loud scream made her turn.

Javier's screams echoed through the air, screaming as the walker dug it's teeth into the man's collar bone.

"JAVI!" With a feral cry of anger, Clementine impaled the walker in the head, kicking it off the man. Anger turned into worry as she turned to the man, in complete disbelief. Javier gasped in pain, a hand clasped over the bloody wound. "Oh my god, Javi, i'm sorry..!" She picked AJ back up, going to the man. He hissed in pain, leaning against the wall and looked at her with a pained smile. "You were right, he's a cute kid." Javi gritted out, clasping his injury tightly.

He was doomed, there was no way they could cut it off. Tears ran down the girls face, as she looked at the man. They had become close friends over the short time they knew each other. Biting back a sob, she spoke, "We need to get you back to Richmond.". He deserved to say goodbye to his brother and nephew... Taking a shaky breathe, Clem began walking, not giving the man any time to stop her. Releasing a sigh, Javi began following her, his skin already paling.

Clem stepped downstairs, and froze hearing loud growls. "Oh no." She gasped out. "If there was one walker...there's bound to be more." Javier grimaced, it was a fucking ranch, there had to be more people. Clem held AJ closer, pulling out her knife quivering, listening to the growls.

The girl went silent, staring at the wooden floor. Violet gave her a concerned look, putting a hand on her friend's back. "Clem...what happened?" Violet asked. "Javi...Javi never got out of the ranch." Clem breathed out, shaking.

"There's too many..!" Javier grunted, seeing the walker's swarming into the home. "Their blocking off the front door." Clem hissed out, gripping her knife, ready to fight, when Javi put a hand in front of her. "Go, check the back, there has to be an exit." Javi stated, gripping his bat. Clementine looked at the man wide eyed. "Javi, no..!" Clem pleaded. "Clem go, you got him back, you can't lose him this close!" Javi exclaimed, making the girl tense. Biting her lip, she held the baby the baby close, "I'm so glad I got to meet you." Without another look, the girl ran forward, clutching AJ. Rushing down the hall, she spotted a door in the kitchen. Violently pulling the sliding door open, Clem tensed hearing screams. Shutting her eyes, Clem rushed forward, leaving the ranch.

Violet stared at the girl stunned, in complete disbelief. Clem sat up, taking a shaky breathe as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I ran...and never looked back. I couldn't bring myself to go to Richmond...I just kept AJ...and left..."


End file.
